TSX-listed Champion Iron has completed the first rail shipments, containing 24 304 wet metric tonnes of 66.2% iron-ore concentrate, from the Phase 2 expansion project at its Bloom Lake mine, in Quebec.
The commissioning of Phase 2 was achieved ahead of schedule and the company is working to gradually increase the mine and plant's capacity towards commercial production, which is anticipated to occur by the end of 2022.
"Today we celebrate the culmination of our collective efforts as the Phase 2 expansion project comes to life,” says CEO David Cataford.
The Phase 2 project is expected to be in operation for decades and will provide the Québec Côte-Nord region with more than 400 additional permanent high-quality jobs.
“Completing the project ahead of schedule, while facing the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is a testament to the agility and operational excellence of our employees and partners. With our high-purity iron-ore products contributing towards emission reductions in the global steel industry, I am excited by the potential of the several organic growth projects we are currently evaluating,” says Cataford.
In 2019, Champion announced the positive results of the Phase 2 feasibility study, which envisions Bloom Lake's increasing its overall capacity from 7.4-million tonnes a year to 15-million tonnes a year of 66.2% iron-ore concentrate.